When conducting hospital rounds few months ago, Neil Fishman, M.D., saw five patients whose infections didn’t respond to any available antibiotic. “I was shocked,” says Fishman, an expert in antibiotic resistance with the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Arlington, Va. “I fear we’re at a tipping point—on the verge of returning to a pre-antibiotic era, when none of our antibiotics may work at all.”

Most bacterial infections can still be treated with at least one antibiotic. But there are emerging problems. For example:

•  Nearly 1 of every 3 pneumococci—the bacteria  responsible for many pneumonias—has become resistant to penicillin, and 1 in 10 is resistant to most other antibiotics.

• An antibiotic-resistant strain of staphylococcus that triggers potentially deadly lung and bloodstream infections is spreading through hospitals in this country and, increasingly, into communities.

• Few if any antibiotics work against a bacterium called Acinetobacter baumannii, which has infected the wounds of many soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, in some cases _forcing doctors to amputate infected limbs.

• Gonorrhea and tuberculosis are making a _comeback, in part because the bugs
responsible for them have developed defenses against previously used antibiotics.
Consumers have contributed to the growing crisis by not taking antibiotics
properly and, in many cases, insisting that their doctor prescribe antibiotics for viral
infections, such as the flu, ear infections, and the common cold, even though antibiotics
work only against bacterial infections.

Doctors have made the situation worse by acquiescing to those ill informed requests
and, when antibiotics are required, sometimes prescribing the wrong dose, the wrong
schedule, or the wrong medication. For example, recent research suggests that doctors often turn to newer, more powerful antibiotics when older ones would suffice. And some doctors use antibiotics for even more controversial purposes, such as the long-term treatment of Lyme disease or rheumatoid arthritis.

Here are some steps you can take in your home, your doctor’s office to protect yourself from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Safe at Home
The more an antibiotic is used as a drug, and to a lesser extent, in animal feed and
possibly even household cleaners and other consumer products, the more opportunity bacteria have to adapt to it. So the key to combating antibiotic resistance is preventing unnecessary and inappropriate antibiotic use—tasks that start at home.

Don’t self-treat. Don’t use your own or other people’s leftover antibiotics to treat a self-diagnosed infection, since the drug may not be right for your current infection—if you have one..

Use antibiotic creams sparingly. These over-the-counter products, such as neomycin (Mycitracin, Neosporin, and generic), are needed only for cuts that leave visible dirt or grit behind.

Avoid “antibacterial” products. Soaps with the germ-killing ingredient triclosan don’t prevent infections when used at home, research suggests. Other antibacterial products, including deodorants, wipes, and cleaning products, probably don’t either. But their widespread use may make antibacterial soaps less effective for people who really need them, such as hospital and nursing home staff. Prevent infection at home by washing hands with plain soap and water or an alcohol-based product like Purell.  Dispose of old antibiotics properly:   If you have old antibiotics in your medicine cabinet, take them to your pharmacist, who can give you advice on the best way to get rid of the drugs and may even participate in a medication-disposal program.

For information visit: www.ConsumerReports.org
Source: www.ConsumerReportsonHealth.org November 2007